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Ohashi world champions take part in press conference; Amazon Prime viewing figure a huge hit!5/7/2024 Yesater at the Tokyo Dome, we had one of, if not the, biggest show of the year, and a show that finished with 3 world champions from the Ohashi Gym, with WBA Bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5) [井上拓真], WBO Bantamweight Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8) [武居由樹 and Super Bantamweight kingping Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24) [井上尚弥]. Today the three men, alongside promoter, Hideyuki Ohashi, and trainers Akira Yaegashi and Shingo Inoue, took part in a press conference at the Ohashi Gym in Yokohama.
Speaking about the event, Naoya stated “I was satisfied with the content up to the sixth round, including the knockdown in the first round. It was a day that will go down in history.” Regarding the knockdown the Monster explained “I was in a blind spot and couldn't see it” and explained that “seconds matter” when he was down on the canvas, for what was the first knock down of his career. Asked whether Nery was the toughest bout of his career, he explained “I can't say he's the toughest. I thought he had more power. I had the impression that there were a lot of openings, and I was right”. As for Takuma, he seemed to be turning his attention to the future, “We will do our best to overcome the challenges and become stronger in preparation for the unification match”. As for the bout with Ishida he spoke about what happened after the knockdown “We were able to recover the points calmly and surely”. With both Inoue brothers being dropped in the first round of their bouts there were some apologies, and Shingo suggested they were in trouble, and Takuma admitted his heart stopped for a second when his brother was down. As for Takei, who won a world title in just his 9th professional bout, he explained “ never imagined that I would win by decision, but rather that I would win by landing one punch somewhere, but I think Maloney's technique was amazing as he was having a hard time letting me land the punches I wanted to land”. His trainer, Yaegashi, stated “I think his boxing has improved day by day since the fight was decided until yesterday, and he has become able to score points in the judging. Above all, he has become able to hit one-twos. That is his growth. That's why I think I was able to get points and win because of that growth.” Interestingly Takei revealed he had been doing 10 round spars with Naoya Inoue to prepare for Moloney and they had left him “the most beaten up I've ever had in my martial arts career”. The was references to Takei ending sparring much like he had ended the bout with Moloney, and it’s clear that, whilst he is now a world champion, there is still a lot of improvement needed for him. Saying that however, he is the first K1 world champion to also win a boxing title, and doing so in just 9 boxing bouts is highly impressive. Despite Takuma mentioning unification, it’s worth noting that Ohashi seemed to distance the idea for now, with “no talk of a unification match at all so far.” Staying with Ohashi, he confirmed the plan was for Naoya to defend his throne against IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman (18-0, 8) in September, there was no indication of where that bout would be, or whether Takuma or Takei would also be on the card. One other take away from the show, was the viewing figures. Details shared by Amazon Prime in Japan, stating the peak audience for the show was a record for them. They stated that the viewership beat the previous record set in the final match of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Japan and the United States, which saw the baseball crazy Japan beating the USA 3-2, with global star Shohei Otani playing a major role.
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To begin the card fans saw Australian fighter TJ Doheny (26-4, 19) continue his great form in Japan, as he scored a 4th round TKO win over the previously unbeaten Bryl Bayogos (7-1-1, 2). Doheny, who was added to the card at short notice, as an insurance policy for Luis Nery potentially missing weight, made sure to make the most of his opportunity to score a third straight TKO win in Japan, building on victories over Kazuki Nakajima and Japhetlee Llamido last year, and his career defining 2018 win over Ryosuke Iwasa for the IBF Super Bantamweight title. With the win he remains in the mix for a potential world title fight, whilst Bayogos got the chance to fight on a major card, get some international experience and fight on an historic event.
The first of the 4 world title bouts saw WBA Flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui (20-2-1, 11) [阿久井政悟] retain his title with a unanimous decision over Taku Kuwahara (13-2, 8) [桑原拓] in what was a rematch of a 2021 Japanese title bout, won in 10 rounds . From the off Akui was the man pressing and pressuring, whilst Kuwahara used his footwork and speed, using the outside of the ring and picking his moments as Akui came to him. The first round was a good one for Kuwahara, but he was being forced to use a lot of energy and by round two it did seem like Akui was starting to land the much heavier, more telling blows and timed Kuwahara numerous times. Round 3 was a really interesting round, where Kuwahara seemed to win the first 2 minutes, creating space well and landed a really good body shot, but Akui landed some monstrous headshots late on, in a round that could have gone either way. Kuwahara again started well in round 4, managing to create the space he needed to work early on, but once again as the round went on Akui managed to find his range, and again landed the heavier, more hurtful, single shots. Round 5 was a much better round for Kuwahara, who seemed to find his distance more easily, and landed the better shots, limiting the success of Akui well though the round. The 6th round was very much a round that was dictated by body shots, as both went to the midsection on a regular basis. The body work of Akui seemed to be the more effective, slowing Kuwahara down for much of the round, until the final 20 seconds of the round as Kuwahara ended the round with a big flurry, making it a really tough round to score. In round 7 we saw a lot of action up close, with Kuwahara looking to have slowed, and less able to create the space he wanted to work, this massively favoured Akui, who had the much slower feet, and forced Kuwahara to fight fire with fire. The challenger had success when the two were trading, but it wasn’t the style of fight he wanted and this showed even more in round 8 as Akui began to relentless walk down Kuwahara, who tried to slow Akui with body shots, but couldn’t make Akui back off. The relentlessness of Akui continued in round 9, with Kuwahara doing what he could to slow the pursuit of the champion, but being unable to get Akui’s respect, whilst also dropping his left hand as he moved, giving Akui an invitation to for his right hands. In round 10 things continued to get worse for Kuwahara as Akui’s relentless pressure had more and more success, including a huge right hand 2 minutes into the round. To his credit Kuwahara refused to give in and had moments in round 11, though was again on the receiving end for much of the round, despite a great burst of shots late on. Kuwahara came out fast in the final round, knowing he was well down, and letting it all go for the first 40 or so seconds. Sadly for him Akui saw out the storm and then returned with interest as he went out looking for a stoppage. To his credit Kuwahara dug deep and managed to see out the final round, but it wasn’t enough with scores of 117-111, twice and 118-110. The second bout on the show also an all-Japanese affair as WBA Bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue (20-1, 5) [井上拓真] got off the canvas to retain his title, with a wide decision against Sho Ishida (34-4, 17) [石田匠]. Ishida started the bout by trying to get behind his long, sharp, crisp jab and pressure behind it, coming forward behind the jab and looking to control range. Inoue, struggled to have much success due to the height and reach of Ishida, who managed to land one of the best punches of his career as he dropped Inoue with a perfectly placed counter jab, in what was a flash knockdown. Knowing he was down Inoue looked to up the tempo in round 2 though was quickly forced onto the ropes where he took a good straight right hand. As the round went on Inoue managed to land some solid shots of his own, particularly up close with the uppercut, but continued to struggle with the reach and jab of Ishida. The consistent jab of Ishida was the key to the round, but it did seem, as the round went on, that Inoue was starting to find his own timing and left Ishida with a bloodied nose. By round 3 Inoue was starting to land some nice combinations, and had began to get a read on the Ishida jab and managed to get inside going to both the head and body. He had also been able to consistently land his own jab, which was pretty much taking away the key weapon in Ishida’s arsenal. Round 4 followed on from round 3, with Inoue getting more success, more control and standing in the pocket regularly, landing some spiteful right hand around the guard of Ishida and his very stiff, hurtful, jab. By the end of the round it seemed like Ishida could no longer establish his jab like he had in the first 2 rounds as Inoue seemed to be smiling through his gum shield, enjoying the action. In round 5 Inoue continued to build on his success, with Ishida really struggling to keep up the output needed to keep Inoue at bay and instead allowing Inoue to pick and choose when to engage and when to be out of range. Notably when they were up close Ishida did manage to connect with some good body blows, but was caught by some good 1-2’s earlier in the round and was certainly not having the style of fight he wanted. From the off in round 6 the two men were close, where Inoue was having much the better of things, with his crisp work up close, especially his uppercut, really catching the eye as blood began to pour from Ishida’s nose. With Ishida’s nose proving to be a target for Inoue, the champion saw a bullseye for more uppercuts as he started to bully Ishida up close and refuse to give Ishida the space to establish his jab. We saw Ishida continue to build any real momentum in round 7, as Inoue again took the jab away, got close, and landed some spiteful jabs, uppercuts and right hands of his own, breaking down the challenger. Sadly for Ishida he looked very predictable, one paced and lacked creativity in his offense. In round 8 we saw Inoue choose to back on to the ropes, almost trying to draw Ishida in, the tactic was short lived but did show that Inoue was willing to try something new, whilst Ishida again showed no real ability to mix up what he was doing. Knowing he was behind Ishida finally showed something knew as he began to let fly with some body shots as Inoue was on the ropes in round 9. It was a much better round for Ishida, but Inoue still had the more eye catching shots, including a number of great uppercuts up close, and a clean right hand. To start round 10 Inoue began throwing with bad intention, continuing to have real success with the uppercut up close. Although being up close did leave Inoue open to some body shots from Ishida they weren’t nearly enough to give Ishida the round as he continued to be popped hard, especially up top. Round 11 saw Ishida start wall with his jab, but it wasn’t long until Inoue got inside again and started to really punish Ishida, landing a great body shot along with a number of spiteful head shots. The final 20 seconds of the round was sensation as the two stood and traded bombs, with both men forced to take some big head shots in the highlight of the fight. Going into round 12 it seemed clear Ishida would need a KO to win, but it wasn’t happening, his lack of power was showing through. He had moments, but it was too little, loo late. The final moments of the round were something of a mess, with the final bell going as Ishida was the canvas, being unceremoniously dumped there by Inoue, who got revenge for being pushed over a few rounds earlier. The scores were comfortably in favour of Inoue, with scores of 118-109, twice, and 116-111. The chief support bout on the card saw was also for a Bantamweight title, as WBO champion Jason Moloney (27-3, 19) face the hard hitting southpaw Yoshiki Takei (9-0, 8) [武居由樹] In the opening round we saw both men looking to establish their jabs, and get their lead foot on the outside. The two both struggled to get their range, through Takei did out land Moloney. Notably though the main talking point was Takei getting warned for going low, several times, with hurtful but accidental low blows. In round 2 things seemed to settle down a bit, with Takei showing some smart boxing and moving. A body shot midway through the round was judged to be low and saw Takei being deducted a point, in what appeared to be a very harsh call from Steve Willis. With the point deduction it seemed clear that Takei was going to have to avoid going to the body of Moloney and in round 3 Takei stuck to mostly working up top, whilst Moloney began to quickly run out of ideas, standing at range and struggling to get much going at all and struggling to get past the jab of Takei. In round 4 we again saw Moloney struggle to close the distance, and land anything of note. Interestingly both men hit the canvas this round, with Takei being pushed down and Moloney. Late in the round Moloney did land a great shot, but was quickly punished as Takei responded with interest as he continued to notch the rounds, moving 4-0 up. Round 5 saw Takei continue to control the action and he seemed to hurt Moloney as the two stood in the pocket. The toughness of Moloney allowed him to see out the storm, but it was clear that Takei had stung him and it wasn’t the first time he had felt the power of Takei. Despite recovering Moloney really didn’t change things after being hurt, coming forward behind a high guard but having little success with his shots. Takei continued to control in round 6, using the jab really well early in the round to not just control Moloney, but to also set up his hurtful left hand and his right hooks, as he began to mark the face of Moloney. The final 30 seconds of the round was Moloney’s best part of the fight, as he managed to have some success of his own, but it wasn’t enough to take the round, and he was tagged hard just moments before the bell. In round 7 we saw Takei visibly slow down, pick his moments more carefully, likely realising how tough Moloney was. Despite slowing down Takei still did enough to take the round, with Moloney unable to cut the distance and get his own shots off with any consistency. In round 8 Moloney had easily his best moment as he landed a combination, with a shot right on the chin and Takei was forced to hold on for the first time. Midway through the round the action was stopped for Takei to get his gumshield put in his mouth, which hadn’t been in for the first 80 seconds of the round. Takei also then slipped in Moloney’s corner, where Moloney had slipped earlier in the fight. Despite the two breaks in action, the round was easily the best for Moloney, as Takei continued to slow down, and began to look like he was feeling the tempo of the action. Despite visibly tiring, which took a very clear effect on Takei’s footwork, Takei managed to land some good shots early in round 9 as he looked to slow Moloney’s growing momentum. A clash of heads saw the action break again and after that Takei did land a couple of very solid left hands, though Moloney did connect with some solid of his own. There was another pause at the very start of round 10 as something had to be removed from Moloney’s corner. Despite looking tired for several rounds Takei looked again to reestablish himself in round 10, in what was his best round for quite a while. He controlled the action landing some solid jabs, several eye catching combinations, and more pressure than we’d seen from him earlier in the fight. The shots took their toll on Moloney, who himself began to slow down just as Takei seemed to be getting his second wind. That second wind continued into round 11 as Takei again got the better of things as Moloney again struggled to have any sustained success or even dictate the distance of the action. As Takei created space, forcing Moloney to come in he then picked him off with stiff jabs and hurtful left hands. Going into the final round it seemed like Moloney needed a KO to retain his title, and Takei could, and perhaps should, have got on his feet and ran. Instead Takei continued to fight, landing heavy leather, pretty much letting Moloney walk into his shots as he himself looked for a knock out in the first 90 seconds of the round. Takei then looked at the clock, and after a good start to the round for Takei it seemed he had given everything in his tank. From there on we then then saw Moloney put his foot on the gas, letting everything go as Takei began to look absolutely shattered and unable to keep his guard up. Takei was standing up right on just his fighting heart and spirit, and had nothing left to give. Had the fight been just a minute longer Moloney would have finished him off. As it was however Takei had done enough early on, and that was confirmed on the cards, with scores of 117-110 and 116-111, twice, in favour of Takei. With the win Takei becomes the 100th Japanese world champion* and sees Japanese fighters holding all 4 of the Bantamweight world titles, once vacated by Naoya Inoue. In the main event we saw Unified Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (27-0, 24) [井上尚弥] take on Mexican challenger Luis Nery (35-2, 27), and despite a scare early on, did what was expected and stopped the Mexican. At the start Inoue took center ring and came close with a sweeping right hand after just 15 seconds, moments later he managed to land one, which Nery took well. Nery tried to respond but fell short with his shots. Soon afterwards Inoue landed with a hook and a right hand. A counter just moments later dropped Inoue with a huge sweep left hand, who like his brother earlier on the show didn’t look hurt and was clear eyed when the count was given. It was the first time he had been down, as either an amateur or a professional, but he showed a good understanding of the situation, taking his time and getting to his feet when he was ready. The knockdown gave Nery confidence with the Mexican going hunting, and Inoue managed to land several good clean counters on the ropes, but it was a clear 10-8 to Nery. Early in round 2 Inoue landed a good 1-2, and started to rely on his sharp jab more. As the round went on both men became ultra-patient, waiting for the other to make a mistake, with it being Nery who made the first mistake as he over-committed and was dropped himself by a counter left hook. In round 3 we saw a more aggressive Inoue as he tagged Nery on the ropes, and let several hard combinations go through the round. As the round went on it seemed like Nery was too slow and that Inoue was reading everything he was doing in advance of Nery actually doing it. Not only was Inoue reading Nery but he was also landing some very powerful right hands, some going right through the Nery guard. Nery came out more aggressively in round 4, knowing he had to change things up after a poor round 3. The more aggressive Nery was however, the more holes he was leaving defensively and it even lead to Inoue taunting and daring Nery to hit him. As the round went on it was starting to look like a showcase for Inoue, who was pulling exhibition stuff whilst Making Nery look like something of an amateur. To his credit, Nery was taking the shots well, but it seemed like Inoue was chipping away at him, mentally and physically, whilst also leaving Nery’s face looking swollen. In round 5 Inoue continued to tag Nery at will as Nery began to try and come forward and risk it all. As Nery came in he got tagged by two huge left hands with Inoue on the ropes, being dropped a second time. With Nery clearly hurt Inoue went for the finish at the end of the round, but Nery managed to see out the round. To start round 6 Inoue was again chipping away at Nery, almost wanting Nery to fire at him so he could counter. As the round went on Nery was dropped again, this time from a round hand, with the referee waving off the bout as Nery was still plonked on the canvas. Despite being dropped for the first time in his career, a flash knockdown, Inoue managed to do what he had to here. Not only beating Nery into submission with 3 knockdowns, but also putting on a show for fans around the globe, as well as the 55,000 in the Tokyo Dome, becoming the first Japanese fighter to headline at the Big Egg. (*The count for Japanese world champions include non-Japanese born, Japanese based fighters, who were fighting out of Japanese gyms, such as Takeshi Fuji, Yuri Arbashakov, Orzbek Nazarov, Eagle Den Junlaphan and Jorge Linares; Shingaki isn't included in some counts, such as the JBC count, as the IBF weren't recognised by the JBC at the time of his title win). On Monday we’ll see a huge show at the Tokyo Dome, which is being used to host boxing for the first time in more than 30 years! The card is one of the best looking of 2024 with 4 world title fights on the card, all of which are interesting in their own way, with interesting sub stories all over them.
Earlier today the men involved in those 4 bouts all took part in their weigh in and all 8 fighters made the championship weights for their bouts. The first bout, which will be the first ever all Japanese world title fight at Tokyo Dome, will see WBA Flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui (19-2-1, 11) [阿久井政悟] take on Taku Kuwahara (13-1, 8) [桑原拓], in a rematch of a bout the two had for a Japanese title in 2021. On the scales both men looked in great shape and came in identically at 50.7KG, or 111.8lbs, comfortably under the limit. Coming in to this Akui is looking for his first defense, he is looking to repeat his 2021 win over Akui and build on his current form which has seen him beat the likes of Kuwahara, Takuya Kogawa, Jayson Vayson and Artem Dalakian, in what is a very nice run. As for Kuwahara he is obviously seeking revenge, looking for his first world title and looking to become the 100* Japanese world champion. The second world title bout on the show will be another all Japanese world title bout, as WBA Bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue (19-1, 5) [井上拓真] defends his title against Sho Ishida (34-3, 17) [石田匠]. On the scales both were 53.4KG’s, or 117.8lbs, and both looked in great shape with Ishida being the notable taller and thinner, and Inoue being the thicker built, but shorter, fighter. For Inoue this is a chance to move towards a potential unification bout, and to build on his career best win against Jerwin Ancajas earlier. As for Ishida, this bout is his second shot at a world title, and it’s fair to say that if he comes up short here he probably won’t get another. He had long been seen as a future world champion and if he fails against Inoue it’ll be fair to say that Ishida’s career will have fallen short of expectations. The third title bout, also at Bantamweight, will see WBO champion Jason Moloney (27-2, 19) face the hard hitting Yoshiki Takei (8-0, 8) [武居由樹]. Both fighters for this one came in 1t 53.4KG, or 117.8lbs, and both, again, looked in incredible shape for the bout. This bout has so many sub stories, with history, and intrigue around it. For Moloney it’s a chance to follow in the steps of the likes of Lionel Rose and notch another win at world level in the long running Australia Vs Japan rivalry, which dates back to the 1960’s. For Takei a win would see him become the second Japanese world champion with a 9-0 record to win a title in the space of just a few days, and would see all 4 Bantamweight titles in the hands of Japanese fighters, essentially collecting the titles that Naoya Inoue vacated before moving up to 122lbs. If he wins by stoppage he will also join a very short of fighters who have won all their fights up to, and including, a world title fight by stoppage. The main event will see Unified Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23) [井上尚弥] take on Mexican challenger Luis Nery (35-1, 27). This bout could have a full magazine written about the sub stories surrounding it, from the long running Japan Vs Mexico rivalry, which has included so many sensational bouts over the years, to Nery’s history in Japan, including two highly controversial wins over Shinsuke Yamanaka, to Inoue looking to get revenge for Yamanaka, the JBC lifting a ban on Nery, and Inoue’s own legacy, as he continues to build on the career of living legend in boxing. On the scales here Nery seemed like he had a point to prove, coming in at 54.8KG;s, or 120.8lbs, well under the limit. Going in to the bout it was made clear that if Nery failed to make weight the bout was off, there would be no negotiations to keep it on, and that he was off the show. He seemed to take those comments personally, coming in so much under the limit. As for Inoue, he was 55.2KG’s, or around 121.8lbs, also making weight with no issue. After both men made weight they took party in a lengthy stare down Interestingly before the official weigh in, Nery had also taken part in a preliminary weigh in, in a t-shirt, and had still made the limit with no issue, almost as if to make a point of how easily he had made weight. *There is some debate on how many there is, but he will be the 100th recognised by the JBC. Likewise if Kuwahara loses and Ishida wins he would become the 100th, or Ishida loses Takei has the chance. Earlier today saw the fighters from Monday’s stacked card at the Tokyo Dome taking part in their final press conference, with all 8 men involved in title fights all on stage at the same time, all talking about their bouts and engaging the media for the final time before the weigh ins tomorrow.
The first of the 4 bouts involved on the show will see a rematch between WBA Flyweight champion Seigo Yuri Akui (19-2-1, 11) [阿久井政悟] and Taku Kuwahara (13-1, 8) [桑原拓]. Akui spoke about how he'd been training for 4 weeks in Tokyo, which he explained was over in the blink of an eye. Whilst he did win the first fight by knockout, he explained that he couldn't overlook Kuwahara and was very complimentary about the challenger. As for the challenger, he explained that the bout has a story between the two men, and promised to make it an exciting fight for the fans. Like the champion he didn't play down his opponent, and said that Akui looked like he was doing well in what was a very respectful back and forth between the two men. Interestingly, whilst this fight isn’t getting all the attention, it will actually be the first world title fight at the Tokyo Dome in more than 30 years, a bit of an historic footnote to whats a massive card, with much bigger fights on it. It is also the first ever world title bout to feature a Japanese fighter at the Tokyo Dome, and the first all Japanese world title fight at the venue. Notably the first ever world title fight featuring a Japanese fighter came on May 19th 1952 at the Korakuen Baseball Stadium, with Yoshio Shirai winning the Flyweight title, and it’s worth noting that promoter Hideyuki Ohashi did make some references to that bout in the build up to this event. You wait for years and then you get two at the same time, as the next bout on the card will be the second ever all-Japanese world title fight at Tokyo Dome, as Takuma Inoue (19-1, 5) [井上拓真] defends the WBA Bantamweight title against Sho Ishida (34-3, 17) [石田匠]. Inoue explained that he wanted to make this fight as exciting as his last one, a KO win over Jerwin Ancajas in what was a very fan friendly bout, and move towards a unification bout. As for Ishida he explained that he was aiming for a KO and has imagined himself wearing the belt the next day. It’s worth noting that this is Inoue’s second defense of the title and Ishida’s second world title fight, with his first being a loss to Kal Yafai back in 2017. Give the styles of the men involved this could be an interesting match up, as both are skilled fighters, but both can also make for some very unexciting bouts, so it could end up being a frustrating fight for fans. Potentially the best bout on the card will also be at Bantamweight as WBO champion Jason Moloney (27-2, 19) takes on the hard hitting Yoshiki Takei (8-0, 8) [武居由樹] in the latest chapter of the long running Japan Vs Australia rivalry, which is an often overlooked one that dates back to 1968 (something we covered back in 2020 when Moloney faced a different Japanese fighter who we’ll mention shortly), and has regularly seen the two countries clash at Bantamweight, and a rivalry that Australia are currently winning. Takei explained that he has worked hard to prepare for the bout and that it's on a big stage, so he wants to put on a performance that stands out. He seemed confident that his power was the key to his victory. Notably he also didn't downplay his opponent, explaining that Moloney looks in good condition, and that he was looking forward to facing him. As for Moloney almost seemed to echo the comments of Takei, explaining that he was in the best shape of his career, and that it was an honour to be on such an historic event. The main event sees Unified Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23) [井上尚弥] face off with Mexican challenger Luis Nery (35-1, 27). At the press conference both men seemed calm, and seemed determined to make the most of the big stage. Inoue stated “Finally, this day has come. I hear that Nery is also in good condition. We can have a tremendous match. It was a press conference that made me brace myself. The environment and timing have never come together like this. I'm sure the day after tomorrow will come. I want to go for the win. I hope to get the KO in the main event at Tokyo Dome". As for Nery “Since the fight was decided, I have lived a fulfilling life. My practice has been perfect. My weight is already within my limit. I want to show the bravery of a Mexican boxer. I will take on the fight with the intention of dying” before also stating “I will win by KO”. Also at the press conference were the promoters of the event, including Bob Arum who stated “I think this is the most important fight in the history of Japanese boxing. Boxing is returning to Tokyo Dome for the first time in 34 years since the match between Mike Tyson and James Douglas.” Whilst Hideyuki Ohashi spoke about his former promoter Kenji Yonekura, and the world title bout he had at the Korakuen Stadium the predecessor to the Toke Dome, and how he wanted to put on a good show for Mr Yonekura, and carry on Yonecraism. Another day has gone by and once again we have a little of small stories to share!
In the Philippines WBO Global Light Flyweight champion Regie Suganob (15-1, 5) successfully retained his title with a very impressive performance, as he stopped Japanese puncher Kai Ishizawa (11-4, 10) [石澤開] in round 8. From the off Suganob seemed to have the crowd behind him, and he managed to dictate the distance and tempo well, creating space when he wanted it, and punishing Ishizawa when the Japanese fighter looked to close the distance. The accurate clean punching saw Suganob sending Ishizawa to the canvas, Ishizawa beat the count and tried to turn things around, with one final assault, but it wasn't enough to turn the tide, and Ishizawa's corner threw in the towel as a fresh looking Suganob began to let his hands fly. As the towel came into the ring Ishizawa fell to the canvas, as Suganob’s shots took their toll on the visitor. Sadly for the once promising Ishizawa, this is a 3 loss in 4 bouts, and it's clear that he's taken a lot of punishment, and probably already on the back end of his career, despite only being 27. As for Suganob this was a successful first defense, and he’ll be in the hunt for a second world title fight in the not too distant future, having bounced back well from a 2023 loss to Sivenathi Nontshinga in an IBf title fight. Over in Tokyo we had a show at Korakuen Hall today, pitting two JBC ranked fighters against each other, as Shigeotshi Kotari (6-2-1, 5) [神足茂利] clashed with Hiromasa Urakawa (10-2, 7) [浦川大将], who showed off his power. Within 20 seconds of the bout starting, Urakawa scored the fight's first knockdown, doing so with a jab of all things. Although the knockdown was a flash one, it did seem to suggest Urakawa had the power needed to take the win. Kotari however managed to have success after the knockdown, using his own jab well to counter the pressure of Urakawa. In round 4 the fight came alive again, as Urakawa got close and forced Kotari into a physical fight. The intensity from Urakawa had a breakthrough in round 5, when he scored the second knockdown of the fight. Kotari barely made it to the end of the round but couldn’t survive round 6 as Urakawa’s pressure and power wobbled Kotari, and forced the referee to jump in and stop the action. In other news from Tokyo, WBO Bantamweight champion Jason Moloney (27-2, 19) took part in his media work out, ahead of his upcoming defense against Yoshiki Takei (8-0, 8) [武居由樹]. Sadly the workout was a very, very limited one from Moloney, who did a round of shadow boxing, and seemed to be doing so at half speed. The training workout seemed to disappoint promoter Hideyuki Ohashi and Takei's trainer Akira Yaegashi, who likely expected to see more form Moloney. Whilst his work out was limited Moloney was open at a press conference. He explained that his 2020 loss to Naoya Inoue was a valuable experience and went on to admit “I've always wanted to compete in Japan someday. I'm happy to be able to participate in such a huge event.” Notably he has prepared for the bout with a number of Japanese fighters, with Seiya Tsutsumi (10-0-2, 7) [堤聖也], Jun Ikegawa (7-0-2, 2) [池側純] and Matcha Nakagawa (15-2-2 6) [武田航] all being used as sparring partners, due in part to them being Japanese southpas of a similar stature to Takei. Moloney has also sparred with former Takei foe Bruno Tarimo (28-4-2, 7), in what he described as the “best preparation of his career”. Yesterday we reported the aforementioned Unified Super Bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23) [井上尚弥] took part in the WBC 7 day weigh in, for his upcoming bout with Luis Nery (35-1, 27),weighing in at 57Kg (125.66lbs), comfortably within the 3% of the divisional limit that he needed to weigh in under. At the time there was no weight reported for Nery, who appears to have done his 7-day weigh in today, and came in at 56.6KG (124.8lbs). Putting to bed the fear that Nery would be missing weight for the contest. |
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